Irish Setters and Golden Retrievers are undeniably handsome dogs. Their flowing red coats give them a distinctive look and their general temperaments and breed history may get you wondering if the Irish Setters is related to the Golden Retriever.

Are Irish Setters And Golden Retrievers Related?

Irish Setters and Golden Retrievers are related, and they share many similarities, which could be related to their historic crossbreeding. There is also the Golden Irish, a cross-bred dog breed that mixes Golden Retriever and Irish Setter but is a separate dog breed from its ancestors.

Historically the Golden Retriever was bred by combining the Retriever and the Water Spaniel. When they were paired, later they were crossed again with the offspring of the Irish Setter, other Retrievers, St. John’s Water Dog, and Bloodhounds.

This crossing which led to the Golden Retriever is how they are related. Incorrect terms, the Golden Retriever would be related to the Irish Setter.

The Irish Setter’s historical origins are believed to be a mix of the English Setter, Spaniel, Pointer, and Gordon Setter. This breed is older than the Golden Retriever and first shown in 1876, and the Golden Retriever was first shown in 1908.

The Golden Retriever is similar to its ancestral cross, the Irish Setter, in many ways related to personality, physique, and mental capacities. For starters, both breeds are similar in weight, and the Irish Setters typically come in at about fifty to seventy pounds based on whether or not they are male or female.

Golden Retrievers come in about fifty-five to seventy-five pounds, again based on gender. Their height variances are far greater, with the Golden Retriever being slightly smaller regardless of gender.

Their physical appearance is similar with floppy cute ears, long whispy fur, and fur color. Irish Setter also lives longer than Golden Retrievers by a few years. Both dog breeds were bred for hunting and sporting, including waterfowl.

Ironically or not, the Golden Retriever and Irish Setter require lots of physical activity, and they’re both friendly, loveable, and playful and require extensive grooming and care. It’s easy to see that the Golden Retriever took some of these qualities from the crossing with the Irish Setter in history.

Since Goldens were crossed with other dogs to maintain, increase, or introduce varying traits, many of these qualities could also have easily come from them.

What happens if you cross a Golden Retriever and an Irish Setter again today?

If you cross a Golden Retriever and an Irish Setter today, you get a cross-bred dog known as the Golden Irish. This cross-bred dog breed blends the qualities of purebred dog breeds into one dog.

When crossing these two purebred dogs, breeders take certain admirable qualities in each dog and cross them to gain more of a particular trait or traits in their offspring. Regarding their physical appearance, they are very large dogs with a feathery textured long fur coat.

This cross-bred dog breed will have a very distinct color scheme and body design, with an affectionate and loving nature gained from both parents. The Irish Setter and the Golden Retriever require much physical activity; therefore, their offspring does as well.

They make great companion animals for families and don’t bark very much. With the blending of these two purebred dog breeds, the offspring are known for being phenomenal at agility.

When crossing two purebred dogs, many believe the offspring will be all one or the other, but this isn’t the case. Often times the litter will have some dogs that will have more attributes from one parent, and some dogs with attributes from the other.

How the crossing happens is determined by nature, and It can create many interesting combinations.  This can be interesting in one litter.  When each dog has their own unique attributes looking and having a different personality and temperament from the other puppies.  These surprise litters can be more delightful than a litter of the same puppies.

Fur coat coloring can vary from Red to Yellow and Chocolate with characteristic floppy ears, a graceful stance, and a long tail. The fur coat is usually straight and thick, but some variation is possible.   This cross-bred dog breed will need regular daily brushing.

Due to the breed background, the Golden Irish will need high physical activity throughout the day and likely prefer spending time outdoors. For this reason, this cross breed should have a fenced-in yard or daily access to an outdoor space.

The breed is a highly intuitive dog breed where they seem to understand humans better than they do themselves. A Golden Irish may adore water and playing rescue team depending on how strong the Golden genes are in the offspring.

They are often the perfect blend of close companion animals with an unsurpassable zest for life and friendly nature.

What is the difference between purebred, cross, and mixed dogs?

The difference between these three types of dogs is their parents and background. Purebred dogs have the same dog breed parents, Cross-bred dogs have two different breed parents, and mixed dog breeds have parents that are a mixture of three or more different breeds.

Still, some will only consider a dog a purebred dog or a pedigree dog as they are sometimes known if they are registered with the American Kennel Club. Add to that, there can be further confusion or division as some dog breeds started out as cross-bred dogs but have a long enough history to be considered purebred.

While many people might consider pedigree or purebred dogs superior, it is often a fact that mixed or cross-bred dogs have the upper hand when it comes to health. A purebred dog has less breeding diversity, so it can suffer more health problems. 

In Conclusion

The Golden Retriever and Irish Setter are related historically. Even if they weren’t, they would share a great number of similar qualities like being exceptional hunting and sporting companions.

Today we can also find a modern cross between these two dog breeds that offer even more blending of both their fine dog qualities into one great dog.  

One thing is fur sure, even if they weren’t related, no one could deny how friendly and loveable the Irish Setter and Golden Retriever are!